Chapter Twenty-Two- The Pond

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I lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling listening to the faint tick of the clock in the background. Today Kat and I had ignored the world and just spent the day relaxing, even though I felt so much better I just felt off.

I turn over to look at my phone for the first time since Kat left, I see 3 unread messages, 1 from Jack and two from Aaron. I sigh I hope Aaron doesn't know about everything I don't need this coming back to my brother.

My entire house is silent when my mom got home, her, Kat, Zack and I all had dinner together, Kat started to act weird and made an excuse to go home which I don't understand. Now everyone else is fast asleep and I'm the only one up this late at night.

I stretch my arms above my head and decide to go on a walk, the moon is out and it's a warm night. I grab keys to the house and a jacket in case I get cold.

Walking out the front door I know that my mom would kill me if she knew what I was doing on a Sunday night before finals start let alone on a school night. I smile, I feel the warm air wrap around me like a blanket and I decided to head for the park that's a few blocks away.

The streets are empty from cars and I feel like I'm walking down the street of a ghost town. Surprisingly I don't mind it at all.

Finally, I pull out my phone to look at my messages.

Aaron: Hey D Jack's pretty upset about what happened last night, would you let him know you're okay?

Aaron: Did he ever come over to your place? We can't find him anywhere

I sigh, this is why I didn't check my phone. Jack seems to be acting like he's the one who had his first kiss and is mad I won't respond.

I check to see Jack's second message.

Jack: I'm sorry about last night

I round the corner to walk into the park and breathe in the fresh summer air. Unlike me, I stay abnormally calm and walk along the path surrounding the park. Maybe going to a park in the middle of the night wasn't the safest place for me to be but everything was lit by the moon and I had never left safer.

I look back down at my phone and decide to answer Aaron,

Dawn: No he never stopped by my house today

I pause and decide to answer Jack but I'm lost on words. Do I want to play this off as a joke or should I treat the wholes situation seriously? I still don't want Jack to know I was the girl from that night but I worry that it's even worse now that he thinks he took my first kiss the other night. Well I mean technically he did take my first kiss but he's just wrong on the timing.

I answer Jack, Dawn: No worries

I pause wondering if it's a good response then just send it anyways. I walk over to a little pond near the back of the park and lean against the tree. Kat is always the one with the interesting life with all the problems to solve. It's weird to have problems myself that I have to find the solution to. Maybe I understand why Kat always had trouble picking the right solution to her problems, it's hard to see the solution when it's about you. I feel my phone buzz.

Jack: Well damn someone is up late

Dawn: You're up too

Jack: We should talk about the other night

I smile, Dawn: I never thought a guy would say that 'we have to talk' I might as well lighten the mood if he's going to go right into it.

Jack: are you drinking? I look at the message in surprise shocked that he said that or thinks that is how I would handle this.

Dawn: You wish I was

Jack: I'll take that as a strong no

I smile and decide that I'm going to end the conversation. I need my own time to think tonight.

Dawn: Goodnight Jack

Jack: Sweet dreams

My heart flutters at his message as I lay my head back against the tree and look out at the water sparkling from the moonlight.

I sit there for a while before heading back home, I walk quietly back inside and as I lay down on my bed I decided that I'm going to give myself a clean slate.

If there is something with Jack and I will decide that I'll let it happen. If there's not then I'm going to move on with my life, just work on making it through the rest of the year.

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I'm dying in my finals week. Is everyone excited for the holiday season?

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